Qualities of HR Manager are Sympathetic Attitude, Quick Decisions, Integrity, Patience, Formal Authority, Leadership, Social Responsibility, Good Communication Skills. HR Manager’s role is to interview and hire candidates based on their skills and talents.
Good HR managers are driven, organized individuals who want to help organizations achieve their goals and employees reach their potential. Let us learn more about the Qualities of HR Manager in detail.
The Key Qualities of a Great HR Manager
Finding and retaining top talent is one of the most important jobs of any HR manager. But what exactly makes someone excel in this role? I’ve worked in HR for over 10 years, and in my experience, the best HR managers all share certain key qualities. In this article, I’ll break down the most important skills, personality traits, and abilities that set great HR managers apart.
- Communication Skills
Strong communication skills are absolutely essential for HR managers. On any given day an HR manager has to communicate clearly and effectively with people at all levels of the company – from executives to managers to individual employees. They need to be skilled at
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Active listening – Being able to listen closely to employees’ concerns and grievances without judgment.
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Written communication – Crafting clear, professional emails, memos, and notices that get the message across.
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Public speaking – Facilitating presentations and training sessions for groups of employees.
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Difficult conversations – Tackling sensitive subjects professionally and empathetically.
HR managers are constantly explaining policies, providing feedback, and resolving conflicts through discussion. If you aren’t an adept communicator, you’ll struggle in this role.
- People Skills
HR managers interact with people all day long – that’s their entire job! So having excellent people skills is a total must. Great HR managers are:
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Friendly and approachable – Employees feel comfortable coming to them with issues.
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Empathetic – They listen and understand others’ perspectives.
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Patient – They can deal with questions and complaints without getting frustrated.
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Motivating – They inspire and encourage employees to do their best work.
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Trustworthy – Employees know they can confide in them with sensitive information.
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Respectful – They treat all employees fairly, politely, and professionally.
When employees know the HR team has their back and wants the best for them, it makes a huge difference in job satisfaction and retention.
- Organization
From recruiting to onboarding to benefits enrollment, HR managers juggle a ton of different responsibilities and tasks. Staying on top of it all requires top-notch organizational abilities, including:
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Planning – HR managers think ahead and develop efficient systems to complete projects and meet deadlines.
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Task management – They use tools like to-do lists, calendars, and task management software to stay organized.
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Record keeping – Personnel files, payroll information, compliance data – they document everything thoroughly.
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Attention to detail – No sloppy mistakes or forgotten tasks – they handle the little things right.
Disorganization leads to frustrated employees, missed deadlines, compliance issues, and other problems. With good organization, HR teams avoid these pitfalls.
- Critical Thinking
HR managers often have to analyze ambiguous situations, evaluate alternatives, and make tough judgment calls. For instance:
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Reviewing a sexual harassment complaint and determining appropriate action.
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Assessing whether an employee’s chronic lateness warrants disciplinary measures.
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Reviewing candidates for a job opening and deciding who is the best fit.
They need sharp critical thinking skills to weigh all the nuances and make the smartest choices, keeping the company’s interests in mind. Knee-jerk reactions or blind decisions can lead to serious consequences.
- Conflict Resolution
HR departments are ground zero for interpersonal conflicts of all kinds. When employees have disputes or can’t get along, HR typically steps in to mediate. Excellent HR managers are adept at conflict resolution. They:
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Remain calm and rational, never getting defensive or emotional.
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Hear each person’s side of the story and concerns.
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Look for win-win solutions that satisfy everyone’s needs.
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Coach employees on how to communicate and work together more effectively going forward.
Left unresolved, employee disputes can seriously undermine morale, productivity, and retention. Skilled conflict resolution is an invaluable asset for an HR pro.
- Compliance Knowledge
HR managers must be totally up-to-date on all laws and regulations around hiring, harassment, diversity, wages, benefits, health and safety, and more. Lacking that compliance knowledge exposes the company to legal consequences. Great HR managers:
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Have expertise across all applicable federal, state, and local laws.
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Get training on new laws and keep current with changes.
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Consult legal counsel when they have any uncertainty on compliance issues.
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Educate the rest of the organization about legal requirements.
With strong compliance knowledge guiding them, HR teams keep the company out of hot water.
- Business Acumen
While HR managers don’t need formal business education, they should understand core concepts like:
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How the company makes money and key drivers of profitability. This helps inform strategic decisions around compensation, hiring, retention, etc.
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Financial statements – Like being able to analyze reports and spot positive or negative trends.
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The company’s business goals and competitive strategy in the market. HR plans should align with and support these.
HR pros with sharp business acumenprovide much more value to the executive team and help drive better business outcomes.
- Problem Solving
Every day brings new challenges in HR – like an employee with performance problems, a benefit enrollment issue, or a sudden hiring freeze. Excellent HR managers are creative problem solvers who can tackle any kind of dilemma, including:
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Identifying the root causes of issues.
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Weighing different options for how to address it.
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Finding innovative solutions that actually resolve the problem long-term.
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Building consensus around the chosen solution.
Their ability to solve problems deftly keeps the HR department running smoothly.
- Strategic Thinking
Forward-looking HR leaders focus on the big picture – not just executing tactical tasks, but developing long-range strategies and vision. They may analyze factors like:
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Workforce demographics and how they’re shifting.
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New technologies that could impact jobs.
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Competitors’ recruitment and retention approaches.
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Business goals for the next 5-10 years.
Then they formulate comprehensive HR strategies to align with future ambitions. This high-level perspective is invaluable.
- Executive Presence
To have a seat at the leadership table, HR managers must project professionalism, confidence, and executive presence. Traits like:
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Polished, professional demeanor.
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Authoritative speaking style.
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Sharp, business-appropriate wardrobe.
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Ability to present data and arguments persuasively to executives.
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A strategic, forward-thinking mindset.
With the right image and bearing, HR managers gain respect and buy-in across the organization.
The Bottom Line
Wearing so many hats at once, strong HR managers need a diverse blend of hard and soft skills. When you can communicate effectively, think strategically, resolve conflicts, analyze data, and more – you provide immense value as an HR leader. While it’s a complex role, it’s also extremely rewarding to foster a positive, thriving workplace. If you have the right skills and temperament, there are amazing opportunities for growth and impact as an HR manager.
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He should display the ability to make quick decisions. Let’s assume that there is a conflict between a superior and an employee in the organization. When the HR manager tries to mediate and put an end to the conflict, he might have to make some quick decisions. He should be mentally alert and therefore not get caught unawares.
Being the head of the personnel or human resource department, an HR manager should display integrity. Honesty and frankness are the hallmarks of a good human resource manager. At no time can the employees doubt the integrity of the personnel manager.
He should be extremely patient and not someone who loses his temper easily. While dealing with employees, it is important to be a good listener, especially when an employee is voicing his concerns. And good listening skills require a lot of patience.
Further, since employees tend to talk to the HR manager about their problems, they can get agitated and verbally abusive. In such situations, it is imperative that the HR manager keeps his cool and controls the situation.
He should depend on his formal authority alone. In fact, an effective HR manager earns his informal authority of influencing people through his interpersonal skills.
Good leadership skills are essential to guide the employees towards achieving the organization’s objectives. He should also keep people motivated and encourage them to use their skills for the overall good of the enterprise.
He should have a sense of social responsibility. Further, he must encourage employees to discharge their social obligations to different segments of society. After all, a good human resource manager isn’t only about the organization. He also needs to look at the broader human resource element.
Another essential quality of a human resource manager is that he must possess good communication skills. In fact, since a major part of his role involves interacting with employees, unions, and management, being a good communicator is a must.
Also, check the Features of HRM
8 Key Qualities of an HR Manager
- Sympathetic Attitude
- Quick Decisions
- Integrity
- Patience
- Formal Authority
- Leadership
- Social Responsibility
- Good Communication Skills
A good personnel manager must have a humane approach to human resource problems. Regardless of the problems faced by the employees, he must have a sympathetic attitude while dealing with them.
How to Become an HR Manager in 2023
What makes a good human resource manager?
A good HR manager has experience and good leadership skills. They are people-oriented, and driven by the long-term success of both employees and the organization as a whole. Here is a list of Human resource manager functions to consider for the job description: The qualifications you need will depend on the size and nature of the company.
What does an HR manager do?
The manager usually heads the HR department, and they play an important role as a bridge between management and employees. HR managers work in nearly every industry. As long as a company has employees, an HR manager is typically needed to oversee hiring, training, and the organization and development of the company culture.
What skills do HR managers need?
Strong communication skills are essential for an HR manager. They work with all levels within an organization to share information, make recommendations and explain policies, in addition to speaking with vendors and other third parties. HR manager are often the first people job candidates meet, creating their first impression of the company.
How do I become a good HR manager?
Effective HR managers should have a thorough understanding of terminology, methods and best practices in human resources. Consider earning an associate, bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in human resource management. There are also organizations that provide HR certificates through online courses.
